The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-22
STRANGE AND SAD.
A Prodigal Son Found on the scaffold

From the San Francisco Examiner.
The romance that even the most casual
observer can see in the lives of many people
never had a stranger and sadder illustration
than is to be found in the life of William
Douglass, particularly in so far as his own
family is concerned The man is a murderer,
"a years of age, and just few days before
he is to be hung for his crime his father and
mother discover by the merest chance that
he is their long-lost son. Like many
others in this State, they had read
the history of the midnight crime. They
had read the daily reports of his trial, and
the strange and sullen silence maintained by
the prisoner before the bar of Justice, to-
gether with the sentence of death imposed
by the Judge, and the reaffirmation of the
judgment by the highest tribunal of the
State, all in utter ignorance that one of
their own flesh and blood was the subject
William Douglass alias John Rogers, is the
man in question, and he is to be hanged to-
day in Eureka Humboldt county for the
murder of Judge John H. Kimball on the
night of May %, 1886.
THE FATHERS DISCOVERY.
On April 10 last as gentleman was walk
ing through the Humboldt county Jail he
took look at Douglass, more out of curl
osity than anything else. In an instant he
recognized the prisoner He had known
Douglass and his family for great many
years, and was absolutely sure that John
Rogers was an assumed name.
rs your name not William Douglassr' he
eagerly asked the prisoner as he gazed at
him through the bars Of the cell
The latter replied only with look of
stOlid indifference Not a word would he
utter, but the friend of the family was so
positive in his belief that he Immediately
notified a brother of Douglass living in
Kern county. The latter, without delay,
apprised his father, William Douglass, living
at Los Gatos, that the son who had been
absent from home for nine years, and who
was looked upon as one dead, was not dead,
but very near unto the grave.
The old man received the news with
strong feelings of doubt and grief He
wrote to the Sheriff of Humboldt county,
requesting him to see if the prisoner had
certain scars on one of his legs and several
on his body. The county official found that
they Tailed exactly with those mentioned
in the letter.
Mr.. Douglass was notified of the fact,
and this convinced him that the prisoner,
indeed, was his own son.
Last night Mr.. Douglass was in this city
IN consultation with lawyer, in the hope
that some step might be taken to have the
execution deferred.
He is nearly 60 years of age, and his head
and face are covered with long gray hair
and beard
With the utmost determination he refused
to disclose who he was and where he lived,
and it was only through inadvertent SEN
fences that his name and address could be
derived.
THE BOYS wANDERINGS.
"No, l have not seen my son since have
received news about him. 1t is an awful
experience to pass through" said the old
man, and the tears rolled down his cheeks
and his emotion became uncomfortable.
ut is like horrible nightmare. | would
just like to see him if only for a moment.
and then the disgrace that he has brought
upon me makes me stay away in order to
shield my family and their good name
when the boy was only Is years of age
he ran away from home, and until a few
days ago we heard nothing about him. This
was in 1913 Shortly after | moved with
my family to Washington Territory. He had
frequently ran away from home before, but
| was always able TO get ON his track and
bring him back in the course of a month or
80. went to Carson City, New. to get him.
His running away from home was not
because OF any natural depravlty or on ac-
count Of lH-treatment. From about the time
he was IA years of age he showed symptoms
of insanity He cut a large cash
in his leg one day with an AK and it seemed
TO have upset his nervous system, for fire.
quentlv after that he was subject to violent
nervous fits He used to act most strangely
at times I remember one day in particular
ne walked into the jewelry store OF a next
door neighbor of mine, and, deliberately
taking a watch from one Of the Showcases
in broad daylight, walked across the street
into blacksmith shop and hammered it to
pieces lie did not act as if he had done
wrong, and the jeweler, being familiar with
his strange actions, did not even take him to
task for what he had done.
II know thc boy has not a sound mind
There is insanity in the family. l have a
daughter II years old who is insane She is
violent at times, and has the peculiar mania
of wanting to chop up every big stick that
she sees for fear some one might try to kill
her with it. One of my sons, 10 years of
age, is also partially insane Ny fathers
sister and my brother were confined for a
long time in an insane asylum in Europe,
and when boy Is years Of age l was sub
iectad tn cato lancyy